Best Practices that Foster a Reflective Approach to Teaching
Think about your classroom. At the end of each day, do you reflect on your teaching? Reflective teaching centers around taking the attitude of a life-long learner, and constantly thinking over and analyzing how our teaching and student learning can improve. There are several ways that we can do this as teachers.
1. Ask for feedback. This is one of the most effective, yet difficult tasks in reflective teaching. It is easy to become isolated as a teacher, but there is so much we can learn from the feedback and observation of others within our profession. Ask your principal or a colleague to observe and give your feedback on your lesson.
2. Observe colleagues Another way to avoid becoming isolated and stagnant in our own classrooms is to physically get out and observe others. Viewing our colleagues teaching practices and techniques can refresh our passion and drive for teaching, and give us new ideas for our own classrooms. In an effort to accomplish this next year, we will rotate through having a sub cover a class so we can all have a chance to observe each other.
3. Personal journaling This is a more private way to track your progress and growth as a teacher. At the end of the week, jot down what went well, and how students responded to the activities and teaching strategies you've implemented. Then come up with ideas to help improve upon the week. Ask yourself questions such as, "Did the students meet the learning goals?" or "Do I need more time to prepare for activities?"
4. Observe yourself Our students watch us teach daily, but how often do we watch ourselves? A quick way to assess how you're doing in the classroom is to record a lesson or class. Assess how much you are directly teaching or lecturing verses how much time students are interacting. Do the students seem engaged in the lesson? Also pay attention also to your proximity. Do you need to move the classroom around more?
5. Seek out more information Read the following article for more ideas and information on being a reflective teacher.
If we ask our students to reflect on their work, then we should be doing the same!
Think about your classroom. At the end of each day, do you reflect on your teaching? Reflective teaching centers around taking the attitude of a life-long learner, and constantly thinking over and analyzing how our teaching and student learning can improve. There are several ways that we can do this as teachers.
1. Ask for feedback.
This is one of the most effective, yet difficult tasks in reflective teaching. It is easy to become isolated as a teacher, but there is so much we can learn from the feedback and observation of others within our profession. Ask your principal or a colleague to observe and give your feedback on your lesson.
2. Observe colleagues
Another way to avoid becoming isolated and stagnant in our own classrooms is to physically get out and observe others. Viewing our colleagues teaching practices and techniques can refresh our passion and drive for teaching, and give us new ideas for our own classrooms. In an effort to accomplish this next year, we will rotate through having a sub cover a class so we can all have a chance to observe each other.
3. Personal journaling
This is a more private way to track your progress and growth as a teacher. At the end of the week, jot down what went well, and how students responded to the activities and teaching strategies you've implemented. Then come up with ideas to help improve upon the week. Ask yourself questions such as, "Did the students meet the learning goals?" or "Do I need more time to prepare for activities?"
4. Observe yourself
Our students watch us teach daily, but how often do we watch ourselves? A quick way to assess how you're doing in the classroom is to record a lesson or class. Assess how much you are directly teaching or lecturing verses how much time students are interacting. Do the students seem engaged in the lesson? Also pay attention also to your proximity. Do you need to move the classroom around more?
5. Seek out more information
Read the following article for more ideas and information on being a reflective teacher.
If we ask our students to reflect on their work, then we should be doing the same!